DR. Helene D. Gayle

President and Chief Executive Officer
The Chicago Community Trust

Helene D. Gayle serves as president and chief executive officer of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations. Under her leadership, the Trust has adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region. 

An expert on global development, humanitarian and health issues, Dr. Gayle spent much of her career working on HIV and AIDS, including 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She also launched the McKinsey Social Initiative—now McKinsey.org—a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact.

Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Barnard College, medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania and master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University.